Quality factor (Q) of a large reverberant cavity may be used to describe the ability of the cavity to store energy. Higher Q indicates a lower rate of energy loss relative to the stored energy.
An analytical expression for Q of a simple cavity may be based on a mathematical model of volume, surface area, and wall conductivity. Complex cavities, however, may be extremely difficult to model mathematically. For instance, a complex cavity may be difficult to characterize in terms of true volume. In addition, losses may be difficult to estimate. Consequently, Q of a complex cavity may be difficult to determine.